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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23679775">Secrets No Longer Kept</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/MilesM/pseuds/MilesM'>MilesM</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Community (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Between Episodes, Confessions, Episode: s05e04 Cooperative Polygraphy, F/M, Hook-Up, Relationship Issues, Romance</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-04-16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-04-16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 16:01:38</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,982</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23679775</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/MilesM/pseuds/MilesM</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Set after Cooperative Polygraphy, Jeff and Annie talk about the secrets they had been keeping.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Annie Edison/Jeff Winger</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>132</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Secrets No Longer Kept</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The impromptu wake at Skeevers had wound down and Jeff was left at the table with a very drunk Troy and Abed and a sleeping polygraph interrogator with dreams of selling a screenplay.</p><p>"Alright," Jeff said, putting his phone back in his pocket, "I called a cab for you guys. Can you make sure he gets home okay? I'll take care of the bill."</p><p>"Sure. Thanks," Abed replied. "We'll grab Annie and wait outside."</p><p>Jeff looked to the bar where Annie was perched on a barstool, chin resting in her hands and staring forlornly at the John Daly in front of her. She'd quietly slipped the booth sometime after Shirley and Britta left, having spent most of the night in quiet introspection as the rest of the group talked around her. It wasn't a good sign.</p><p>"It looks like she just got a drink. Why don't you guys go ahead, I'll drop her off when she's done."</p><p>Abed's eyes narrowed, but he clearly wasn't willing or able to put his usual analytical effort into the situation. Instead he just nodded and helped Troy rouse the sleeping Mr. Stone and drag him outside. Jeff watched them go before sliding onto the stool next to Annie and motioning for another scotch from the bartender. He turned his head to the young woman. "Do you want to talk?"</p><p>She returned his look. "I'm mad at you," she sighed. There was no anger in her voice or face, just a resigned weariness that seemed to radiate from her. Jeff nodded, understandingly. It had been a long day with the funeral, the wake, and that infernal polygraph test in between. Relationships were complicated under normal circumstances and airing their dirty secrets hadn't made things any easier.</p><p>"Yeah. I get that. I'm mad at you too." Jeff's tired detachment matched hers and she snorted, a sour smile playing with her lips.</p><p>"What for?"</p><p>"Calling me your uncle."</p><p>"Sorry," she smiled.</p><p>"Not telling me about hitting my car," he continued.</p><p>She blushed. "I really am sorry about that, it was an accident and I didn't want you to be mad at me and-"</p><p>"Annie," Jeff interrupted, smiling. He really did enjoy getting her worked up. "I'm teasing, I already knew it was you."</p><p>Annie frowned in confusion. "How?"</p><p>"Paint scrapes. The taco trucks around campus are yellow, the scrapes were gray. The same shade of cloudy gray of a certain someone's antique rustbucket. For a forensics major, you're not exactly a master criminal."</p><p>Annie scoffed and rolled her eyes before taking a pull from her drink but Jeff saw her lips quirk up into a smile. "I'm taking more classes. Next time you'll never know."</p><p>"I'm glad. It's a good fit for you. But seriously, stop running into my car."</p><p>"Fiiine, if it means that much to you," she laughed, eyes twinkling. "Is there anything else?"</p><p>Jeff paused. He'd just gotten Annie out of her funk, and he loved seeing her playful and happy again, but...</p><p>"Jeff?" Annie had seen the hesitation, seen his smile waver for a moment and her own happy mood had been replaced with nervous concern.</p><p>He sighed and looked away from her, focusing on his scotch.</p><p>"Brent Underjaw."</p><p>"Ugh!" Annie groaned in frustration and anger, dropping her head onto the bar. Jeff waited while she collected herself and took a long sip of her drink. "Jeff, it..." she started and stopped, shaking her head. "Okay, Jeff, it was after..."</p><p>Jeff winced. Asking about Brent was a mistake. He didn't want to drag Annie through that, and he knew it was embarrassing and personal and wasn't any of his business any more. Jeff wasn't even sure he really wanted to know what had happened there. And the mystery man turning out to be Abed... Well, that just makes things more complicated.</p><p>"Annie," he started. "I'm sorry, it's none of my business. We were past the point where I should care about your boyfriends, you don't have to-"</p><p>"He wasn't my boyfriend!" she erupted. "He was just someone to talk to! I hardly saw Pierce after he got banned from the campus, Shirley was always busy, Britta practically dropped off the face of the Earth, Troy and Abed are like kids I have to babysit, and you..." She turned to Jeff with a withering glare. "<em>You</em> are letting it happen again!"</p><p>"What?!"</p><p>"Troy listens to you! You could have gotten him to stay here, but you told him to go and now he's leaving for a year! And Pierce is dead and we're all going to fall apart again and it's all your fault!" Annie's eyes welled up with tears threatening to spill out. Jeff reached for her but she flinched away. "No! You brought us together again and now you're just tearing us apart again!"</p><p>"Annie, that's not fair." He reached for her again and pulled her to him. "I'm not going to let that happen."</p><p>"That's what you said after you graduated," Annie sobbed into his chest.</p><p>Jeff rubbed her back as they held each other awkwardly, half standing, half sitting on their barstools. The bartender approached looking concerned. The pair were getting more than a few curious looks from other patrons, Jeff realized. "It's okay," Jeff whispered, as much to the bartender as to the girl... Woman in his arms. Annie soon pulled away, looking up at Jeff with bloodshot eyes that made her stunning blue irises shine brighter than ever. Jeff hated how beautiful her heartache was.</p><p>"Let's go home."</p><p>He said it without thinking. She didn't seem surprised.</p><p>"I don't want to deal with Troy and Abed tonight," she stated passionlessly.</p><p>He sighed. Dealing with sad Annie was hard enough, dealing with difficult Annie on top of that was more than Jeff felt up for. "Annie, you can't stay here."</p><p>She locked her eyes with his. The grief that had filled her moments before wasn't gone, but had been covered with smoldering steel. There was anger in her eyes, but something determined too.</p><p>"Then take me home," she said before picking up her purse and striding purposefully out the door. Jeff stared at her slack jawed as the meaning of her words sank in.</p><p>The bill was overpaid, the drinks were left behind, and Jeff hurried out of the bar after his friend.</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>Annie was already leaning against the car, waiting for Jeff, by the time he exited the bar. He slowed his pace when he saw her, walking over with a calculated casualness in contrast to his rush from inside. Annie snorted and pretended to check the watch she wasn't wearing and Jeff pretended not to notice. It was a cool night and Jeff knew she was trying not to shiver and show how cold she was. She thought it was more adult. Honesty was often beyond them, Jeff reflected, but did that really matter when they could tell when the other was lying?</p><p>Sometimes, he was sad to say. Sometimes.</p><p>Jeff waited until he got to the car before unlocking the doors and they both casually slipped into the leather seats without comment. As soon as he started the car, however, he reached over and turned on the passenger seat heater. She giggled a quiet "Thank you," and grabbed Jeff's iPod from the cup holder as they started driving off.</p><p>"Hey," he protested, "what are you doing?"</p><p>"Picking out music," she replied. "My library isn't as big as yours, I keep hearing the same songs over and over and I want to hear something new. Troy has a bunch of music, and Abed has a bunch of soundtracks, but you tend to have... better... Oh. My. God."</p><p>Jeff's face paled and looked at the girl next to him. Her eyes were wide with surprise and one hand was covering a grin that had devoured the lower half of her face. "Please, no," he said.</p><p>She hit a button and a lilting melody started playing from the speakers.</p><p>
  <em>The snow glows white on the mountain tonight</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Not a footprint to be seen</em>
</p><p>
  <em>A kingdom of isolation,</em>
</p><p>
  <em>And it looks like I’m the queen.</em>
</p><p>"You have <em>Frozen</em>!" Annie giggled.</p><p>"I really liked the soundtrack, okay?" said Jeff, through gritted teeth.</p><p>She watched him turn red as Idina Menzel filled the car and her eyes lit up again. "You saw the movie, didn't you!"</p><p>He looked at her. She was practically bouncing in the seat. There was no way he was going to get away with lying to her. A part of him wondered if he even wanted to go back to when they could get away with it, when they couldn't read each other at a glance, before they were... Friends? Best friends? Something else?</p><p>Sometimes. Not often, but sometimes.</p><p>Like now.</p><p>They stopped at a red light and he took the opportunity to look to the ceiling, gathering strength. "Yes," he sighed. "Right after the group got back together Shirley asked if I wanted to go see the movie with her and her boys, I said yes and we all watched it together. Then we went out for dinner and frozen yoghurt. It was a lot of fun and a great movie."</p><p>"For Disney," he quickly amended.</p><p>"Aww!" Annie started before shaking her head. "Wait. Why did she ask you? And why did you say yes? You have to be dragged into that kind of stuff kicking and screaming."</p><p>Jeff hesitated, gathering his words. "Honestly... I did that kind of thing with her a lot before we all just... Drifted."</p><p>"Really?"</p><p>"Yeah. We've gone to musicals before. Went to Blade's carnival together-"</p><p>"I still can't believe that's his real name."</p><p>"Me neither."</p><p>"Why do you think he didn't change it?"</p><p>"Won't change how mustard tastes."</p><p>"What?"</p><p>"Nevermind. Anyway, we just got together every so often and did stuff we didn't think anybody else would be interested in."</p><p>Annie watched him for a moment, waiting. "Or..." she said, drawing out the word, "things you didn't want anybody else to know about?"</p><p>"Yeah, or that," Jeff smiled ruefully. "Didn't work, apparently."</p><p>"Your secret is safe with me," Annie said, her voice falling flat at the end.</p><p><em>Love is an Open Door</em> had started playing. Annie muttered something under her breath and reached for the iPod again. A few presses and it was set to random. <em>I'm Only Happy When it Rains</em> started playing. She snorted humorously and left it alone.</p><p>"Annie," he started. "It's not about distrusting you."</p><p>She replied with a permissive silence.</p><p>"I get embarrassed about that kind of thing. Wanting to spy on Britta's ex, which," he added, noting Annie's slight wince, "which had <em>nothing</em> to do with me being interested in her, or watching terrible young adult fantasy movies, or whatever are all things I really don't want to <em>want</em>. And it's easier to share some of that stuff with some people than it is with others."</p><p>"But I know this stuff, Jeff," she protested. "Some of it, anyway. The young adult fantasy, at least. We watched <em>Hunger Games</em> together."</p><p>"That's what I mean, Annie. I said it's not about distrusting you. It's easier to open up with Shirley about that but..." He didn't know if he should continue. It could make things worse. Honesty was sometimes just beyond their capacity.</p><p>Sometimes.</p><p>"But I wanted to be open with you. I like doing stuff with you, you're..."</p><p>"Your best friend?"</p><p>"I don't like labeling relationships."</p><p>Annie rolled her eyes. "I've noticed," she snorted.</p><p>"I was going to say 'awesome,'" he replied, defensively. "Awesome Annie."</p><p>Annie grinned and relaxed into her seat. "So..."</p><p>"No."</p><p>"You didn't even let me ask," she squeaked in protest.</p><p>"Fine," he sighed.  "Go ahead."</p><p>"Tell me what kinds of other things you do."</p><p>"No."</p><p>"Jeeeeff!" she whined, liltingly.</p><p>"Annnnie," he teased back.</p><p>He looked over at her and she pouted back, big blue eyes wide and fluttering. She looked too sweet and innocent and was impossible to disappoint, he never stood a chance against that look. It's why he played to lose. Manipulating her to get her to manipulate him back might not have been the most healthy thing in the world relationship-wise, he thought, but who's really healthy when you come right down to it?</p><p>"Well... Pierce and I would get together once in a while."</p><p>"Really?" Annie said, surprised. "I know you started going easier on him last year but still..."</p><p>"He could get on my nerves like no one else, but he had his moments. His very spaced out, best in small doses moments. We started going to a barbershop, actually."</p><p>"A barbershop." Annie deadpanned.</p><p>"Yeah, a barbershop, is that okay?"</p><p>"No, no, it's fine. It's just a little more 'Pedicures with the girls' than I figured you for," she teased.</p><p>"Hey, I take care of my own nails. Usually." Annie giggled again. "Anyway, it was pretty nice. Get a shave, drink, read some magazines left over from the 1980's, trade jokes with Harry." Jeff noticed her confused look and quickly added, "He's the barber."</p><p>"A Harry barber!"</p><p>"Yeah, I'm sure he's never heard that one before."</p><p>Annie rested her eyes, still smiling. “A Harry barber,” she giggled quietly before settling into a silence long enough that Jeff wondered if she had fallen asleep.</p><p>“What about Abed and Tory?” she asked. “What secret rendezvous do you make with them?”</p><p>“Wouldn’t be much of a secret if I said anything, would it?” Jeff replied, coyly.</p><p>“Well, you told me about Shirley. And you told me about Pierce. And we all know about Britta-“</p><p>“You all know what about Britta?” Jeff interrupted.</p><p>Annie shrugged, keeping her eyes closed and trying but failing to sound disinterested. “How you two were jumping each other every chance you got.”</p><p>“We stopped that like two years ago. You all finding out…” Jeff trailed off. The group finding out had killed it. Sneaking around, being a secret, it was fun. It was something the two of them shared and it felt special because of it. The excitement they felt keeping it from the rest of the group kept it alive, even when he and Britta both knew it wouldn’t lead anywhere.</p><p>Jeff pulled into his apartment building’s lot and parked the car, but Annie made no move to get out. He felt nervous. He never understood how she could always make him feel this way, but she always could. Her presence made him unsure of himself, threw him off his game. Even when he wasn’t playing.</p><p>“Did you only like it because it was a secret?” Annie whispered.</p><p>“Britta?”</p><p>Annie finally opened her eyes again and stared into Jeff’s.</p><p>“No,” she answered.</p><p>“No,” he answered.</p><p>She unbuckled her seat belt and leaned across the console. Jeff leaned forward to meet her, but was held back by his own belt. He started to undo it, but she pushed him back into his seat and kissed him. It was a strong kiss, purposeful and deliberate. It wasn’t a schoolgirl kiss of love, but one driven by something else.</p><p>When Annie pulled away, it wasn’t the childish Annie whose innocence he had wanted to protect. She was the Annie who could do anything.</p><p>“I’m mad at you,” she said, her voice flat.</p><p>“Annie…” he breathed. Jeff couldn’t find any other words. She had taken them all away.</p><p>“I’m mad at you,” she repeated. “For everything. For the stupid stuff we do to each other, for the stupid stuff we don’t. For Troy. For dropping out of my life. But I don’t need an apology for that.”</p><p>“I’m-“ he started.</p><p>“I said I don’t need an apology for that,” she interrupted. “But you are going to make something up to me tonight.”</p><p>“What’s that?”</p><p>She leaned in again and pressed her forehead against his. Their noses touching, their lips inches apart. Her eyes were his world. He could smell her lip gloss.</p><p>“Your box of trophies,” she whispered.</p><p>The cogs of his mind caught.</p><p>“What?” he asked, blankly.</p><p>“Trophies from all of your conquests?” she whispered back. “Won in battle? You kept Britta’s panties the whole time we were together.”</p><p>Jeff’s heart stopped. “I can explain.”</p><p>“You don’t have to,” Annie replied. “We weren’t serious. You didn’t owe it to me to throw them out. And I don’t think you were pining for her when you were with me.”</p><p>“I wasn’t. I wasn’t,” he repeated. “I only kept them because-“</p><p>“You don’t have to explain,” Annie said, soothingly. “I told you. And I don’t need an apology. But you kept them because she was something to you. She was a victory for you.”</p><p>She took a deep breath before continuing.</p><p>“And I know you didn’t get a trophy like that from me.”</p><p>“Annie-“ Jeff started, but was interrupted by a kiss, this time filled with familiar passion.</p><p>“So for that dirty little gas leak year secret,” she said after finally pulling away, “come and get your trophy.”</p><p>And she was gone, out of the car and towards the apartment building.</p><p>Jeff hurried after, and this time he didn’t bother to walk slowly.</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>
  <strong>Epilogue</strong>
</p><p>It was morning and light was battering its way past his blinds, painting golden stripes on the wall. Jeff was alone. He woke up alone. He usually did. On the nightstand was a short note and a plain pair of black panties. He didn’t understand what had happened last night. He didn’t know how he felt about it. Regret and shame, but at the same time comfort and relief. They had never talked about it, and now they had. Or almost had. Or something.</p><p>Jeff got up and grabbed the box from under his bed. From inside the box he took out a purple pen, wrapped it carefully in the underwear on the nightstand, and placed them both inside the box before sliding the box back under the bed.</p>
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